In the Studio with Morgan Weistling

Reviewer: Jeffrey F.

I have to admit, I didn’t rent this video, I bought it before I found TVR.

Having shelled out nearly $200, you can believe I wanted my money’s worth, and I feel I’ve gotten it. As a renter, you’ll get a real bargain.

The first thing I learned was that I had been mispronouncing Weistling. But everything else I learned was much more useful.

I’ve rented other videos, and to be honest, if you don’t devote a full six hours to a video you just can’t produce a completely instructional product. This is a very long effort, and it took a week to shoot. Weistling starts with the very basics, including how to stretch the canvas. He leaves nothing out. But remember, this is a painting video. If you come to it with no drawing skills you’ll have a hard time keeping up. Learn to draw, and try painting a while before renting this set. Approach it from a position of some experience.

In the first two DVDs there’s hardly a brush stroke left out. Everything was done on camera. He starts with a simple charcoal sketch and then begins painting the darkest areas and works his way to the light. He tears down some of the beginner myths about color, and explains in detail what’s really important in a painting (hint: color is the least important thing).

If you’ve seen Weistling’s online demonstrations, you might expect him to always paint in this manner: completing the eyes, then moving on to the nose, etc. As he says on his website, that’s a terrible way to paint. He can get away with it because of his years of intense experience, but the rest of us need to pay more attention to the methods on the video.

Surprisingly, he works very slowly. Even early on in the process he uses quite small brushes (big contrast to Scott Burdick’s video). He works carefully and deliberately and he puts the right tone in the right place easily because he is working slowly. If he sees that his color or value is off, it will be apparent after only one small dab has been placed on the canvas, and he corrects it before he continues.

It’s a meticulous process and not one that you’re likely to master easily. But there are some good advantages to his method. First, he considers painting to be an extension of drawing (just the opposite of what David Leffel says... rent a few of these videos and you’ll see there are vastly different opinions out there). Because every stroke of the brush is treated as drawing, each stroke brings the painting more into focus, as he develops form, color, and value simultaneously.

The real meat of the instruction is in the first two disks, and I dare say, you can get a pretty good idea of his methods from renting disk one alone. Watch it several times, practice his methods, and try the other disks. Each disk contains valuable side lessons that you can benefit from, so do yourself a favor and see them all.

Reviewer: svitlana j.

I love it!!!!!! :) He is goooooooooooooooooood!!!!

Reviewer: SUSHEEL S.

Loved it!!!!!!!!! Very Informative.

Morgan is excellent Artist.

Reviewer: pr g.

This eight hour video is a lot to take in at one sitting. Although a little slow moving at times, this excellent demonstration offers insight into this artist's thought process and technique.

Reviewer: Wyota G.

I just finished watching this, and I say it's a must-rent set. Morgan paints this portait from life, stopping frequently along the way to illustrate and discuss features of his model's face and how to observe and capture them.

He's painterly, less so than Scott Burdick or Greg Kruetz, but very precise - using numerous small strokes of muted colors even where they'd use large, high chroma, ones. His initial sketch is elaborate and his strokes go on with thought and see a minimum of reworking compared to Kruetz and especially Burdick.

The numerous "side trips" are informative - adding content to the video but not taking any time away from the portrait. The best of these is a second quick portrait demonstration with a very limited palette.

Distinctly different to other portrait videos, I'd recommend this set to everyone wanting to learn. For those who love Burdick's or Kruetz's styles and videos, Morgan's style and approach is similar enough you should enjoy this set but definitely different enough to make it worth renting too.

Reviewer: Bill M.

Well, Jeffrey F. said it all! This is a fantastic video and a worthy investment of time and money that definitely provides anyone, even an intermediate painters an immense amount of value. Even if your style is or will be evolving differently than Morgan Weistling's you will benefit tremendously from his ideas and technique(s). I cannot elaborate better than Jeffrey's review. Get a couple discs and you will want to see the whole set. I marvelled and reveled in the relaxed and extended entire set (although the "side trips" could be a valuable set of videos alone!!!)

Reviewer: Betty H.

This is a very good program and I recommend it to anyone striving to understand the mental process that an accomplished artist uses to produce a finished work. The videos are quite long; If you want time to fully appreciate this material, I suggest that you rent no more than 2 discs at a time.

Reviewer: Joanna N.

An excellent demonstration. Thank you!

Reviewer: Jan K.

This is a marvelous instructional DVD. I recommend it.

Reviewer: Larry S.

I almost bought this video, I am so glad I was able to rent it instead. M. Weistling is one of, if not my favorite painter. He obviously went to a lot of trouble to present a video of his style, but this video is way too long. He has added a few "side trips" which were informative, but the vast amount of the 4 disks were of his canvas and his paints and very little of the model he kept referencing with his run on monolog. He mixes his colors with every stroke or, more like dot, of the paint brush and it seems to take forever. His work is remarkable, no doubt about it, but his technique is a bit much.

Reviewer: Francis C.

This is one of the very best videos on oil painting. The side trips in shapes and values are excellent. Even if you don't want to paint the same way he does you can learn alot form this video. The first 2 videos are the best.

Reviewer: Don S.

This is an EXCEPTIONAL video, I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to experience the creation process from concept to completed painting.

Reviewer: Robert P.

Morgan's approach to painting is with purpose and direction and is inspiring to see and hear the choices he makes and what is important. There are no shortcuts that might sacrifice the quality of the painting. His entertaining and occasional humor is an added "side track". This series of DVDs are well worth it, and if he comes out with any more, I'll be on the list. He even does a small portrait study of a man with a limited palette to further express his approach. He art is distinguished and has a classic style all his own. It is valuable to me to see how he puts it all together, and the things that he leaves out, as they aren't so important. This lesson has a place in the paint box of the creative mind.

Reviewer: Brian S.

This was a great instructional video. Morgan is very clear about getting across the fundamentals and his methods. And does it all with personality and humor.

Reviewer: Jay S.

This was very informative, but beware, it is very (or maybe even, too) long. I understand that the purpose of the DVD set was to show you every step. And they did. So you get what you pay for. But after the 1st DVD it could have used a little more editing. His method of mixing color between practically every tiny stroke really wears you down. I actually started to watch this on my computer which allowed me to double the speed of the video and audio. And even that was painfully slow to watch.

So bottom line, it was very informative, definitely worth watching, but don't do like I did and rent all DVDs at once. It'll drive you crazy trying to watch it all in one week.

Reviewer: Marie-Claire P.

Je recommande cette série de vidéo a toute les personnes désirant approfondir son art. M. Weistling ne néglige rien, il dévoile tout son processus de création du début jusqu'au produit final. Les prises de vue sont excellentes. Cela m'a beaucoup aidé. Merci

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I recommend this series of videos to all the people wishing to look further into his art. Mr. Weistling does not neglect anything; he reveals his entire process of creation from the beginning to the end product. The viduals are excellent. That helped me much. Thank you.

Reviewer: Bonnie L.

I rented the whole set of videos and absolutely loved them! Your renting business is wonderful. It allows one to view videos that one might not have been able to afford to purchase. I would be very interested in purchasing any used set of this video if you every decide to sell it.

Thank you!

Reviewer: Tina C.

He often lapsed into a state of inarticularity.. I have seen better instructional videos. I did watch it several times.

Reviewer: Carolyn E.

The video of morgan Weistlings portraiture was great I have learned a lot and been able to improve my own paintings some what! Thank you Carolyn Ercanbrack

Reviewer: sandy nelson m.

Morgan Weistling is one of perhaps a dozen of our great painters of the next few years....he follows in a wonderful legacy that includes Richard Schmid and Harley Brown in portraiture and figure work. To be so young and be so good!!...and eloquent in his discussion/demo of his work...icing on the cake. Anyone interested in figure painting today should take notice and note....listen and learn!

Reviewer: Shannon W.

Great set of DVD's. Give a really good feel for what it is like to paint a long studio painting. Morgan shares many tips and the side trips for learning about shapes, edges, value and color are really informative. This is one I would like to have for my own. Highly recommend.

Reviewer: sandy nelson m.

This entire video set...you will need all 4 of them, as they are a progression in almost real time...is exceptional in its detailed progression. Weistling begins with a live model and takes the painting from drawing to finishing stages while holding nothing back in technique and thought process. His insightful commentary is highly educational and watching him work is such a treat....everyone should see this! Seeing the series has made me want to own them to revisit time and again for inspiration!

Reviewer: John H.

I thought the video was excellent! I learned quite a bit. I might be considered an intermediate artist. I have not painted for years. These videos are a good way of getting me up to speed. I read Morgan Weistling's bio, and he began similar to the way I did. I also took the Famous Artists Fine Arts course, back in the early 60's. I tried reviewing the course to get back up to speed, and found it very tedious. I much prefer watching the videos. Todays artists have learned what I did and have improved on it. this makes it better than the books. I have purchased a few videos before I found out about SmartFlix. I find Smartflix a much more economical way to go. I will be using your service much more.

Reviewer: Jana B.

I have mixed feelings about this series of 4 DVDs. Sometimes it literally felt like watching paint dry as he applies paint in tiny dabs that he restates and corrects and redabs. But he's brilliant at mixing color and getting just the right value and relative color temperature, and his "side trips" where he takes a break from painting and gives a lecture on an aspect of drawing, value, or painting are really good. I think what bothered me the most was that he didn't seem to get much joy from his painting and the final "gallery painting," while beautifully painted seemed commercial and lifeless. I did learn from the video but towards the end started fast-forwarding through the repetitive boring parts.

Reviewer: Shanti M.

I thought this DVD was very informative for the beginner or intermediate painter. He starts out showing you how to stretch a canvas and other details many dvds leave out. He also shows the steps he uses in putting together a plan for a portrait including his methods and palette.

Reviewer: Max H.

4 Good DVDs. Must see. Thank you Morgan. Thank you SmartFlix. Max Houston

Reviewer: Robbyn H.

I really enjoyed this tape; Morgan Weistling's teaching style is thorough and entertaining. It does take some commitment to watch because he works quite slowly with tiny "tiles" of color, mixing fresh colors with almost every stroke. The effect is absolutely dazzling, and while he may not capture, nor does he aim for, an absolute likeness to his model, he certainly captures her soul. I learned a lot, including a reinforcement on the proper way to stretch a canvas, and feel the video was well worth my time.

Reviewer: Jeffrey V.

The best! Absolute satisfaction. Whatever you order this is the must if you want to know anything about oil painting. Simple, honest, and to the point.

Reviewer: Edward K.

Great dvd set. He gives an idea what goes on in artists mind as he developes a painting. The creative progress is really helpful no matter if just starting out or will on the way. The sidebars are something I havnt seen before very informative. Ed

Reviewer: Paul C.

Enjoyed disc 1. Learned some things I didn't know. Highly recommend.

Reviewer: Gaye S.

A wonderful, wonderful set of DVDs. I highly recommend them.

Reviewer: Mady K.

I thought his painting was great however, I was very disappointed. He only referenced the model on the first tape. The rest of the tapes was showing him painting. It didn't mean anything to me if he didn't reference the model so that we can see the reason he was squinting, or highlighted, casting shadows, etc. It defeated the whole purpose of teaching the student how to see and make adjustments to his art. I am sorry, but I thought it was a waste of a lot of time.

Reviewer: Jack P.

Excellent disc 1. I would like to order disc 2.

Jack Phelan

Reviewer: Charlotte E.

Excellent. Expressed old concepts in an entirely comprehensible down-to-earth manor.

Reviewer: Dorreen L.

I enjoyed Morgan. This video is one of the best I have viewed. He is very easy to listen to and he inspires me. I hope to rent more of his instructional videos.

Reviewer: Dorreen L.

This video was another good video by Morgan. I enjoy listening to him however I thought his instruction on painting mixtures could have had more information. Watching him dab into the oils was good but a little hint as to what he was dabbing into would have help immensely. Even if it wasn't exact, it would have help. I rented only the first two , because I am interested in portraits and trying to grab as much information as I can from the artists. Going from lights to mid tones to darks are especially helpful for me right now. I am planning to take a college course on portraits and this to give me a heads up on what to expect.

d leonhirth

Reviewer: JOAN C.

THIS WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE...... SITTING IN THE SAME ROOM WITH MORGAN... HE HAS A GENTLE WAY ABOUT HIM ... THE CAMERA WORK WAS A WONDER TOO!! THANKS ... JOANC

Reviewer: Masoud H.

Perfect Video, you will learn a lot, but you have to be patient it is 10 hours video.

Reviewer: Mary O.

I really enjoyed the videos. Love his painterly style and learned a lot from the videos. I recommend that you rent the set.

Reviewer: Marian F.

So very interesting to watch as he makes decisions about values!!

Reviewer: Dale A.

Great video, as a beginner to painting it let me see how the process from charcoal to the final stroke was done. I'm a fan of the magazine "Art of the west" and Morgan Weistling ranks in the top as an artist. I would highly recommend this video.